"Bang... what an unexpected discovery," Psykos murmured to herself, a cold sneer playing on her lips. Gyoro Gyoro floated beside her, its six tentacles writhing ceaselessly.
"However, further confirmation is needed." She rose gracefully and walked deeper into the laboratory. Psykos needed to formulate a perfect plan to verify if her hypothesis was correct.
She commanded Gyoro Gyoro to issue an order to the Monster Association members: "Pass down the order; have Phoenix Man go monitor the vicinity of Bang's dojo."
Psykos's voice, conveyed through Gyoro Gyoro, reached the Monster Association executives: "Remember, only monitor. Do not act rashly."
"Understood, Lord Gyoro Gyoro," Phoenix Man responded respectfully.
Psykos nodded in satisfaction, then continued to examine the information about Bang, meticulously studying the S-Class Hero's life story.
"If it really is Bang, what are the chances of him joining the Monster Association?" Psykos's fingers tapped lightly on the table.
Suddenly, Psykos noticed a detail: Bang's prized disciple, Garou, betrayed his master six months ago, beating up all the disciples in the dojo, leaving only two people in Bang's dojo now.
(PS: This is according to the timeline described by Sourface, one of Bang's dojo disciples. Based on this, this fighting competition, which is the Martial Arts Tournament, should be held every six months, and Garou was the 21st champion.)
One of the remaining two was Allen, who had just joined the dojo.
But why would Garou, as his prized disciple, suddenly betray his master and beat up all his fellow disciples?
If Bang truly became a Monster, then Garou's defection might be related to it.
"It seems all the suspicious points are here," Psykos's lips curled slightly. She had a premonition that she was incredibly close to the truth of Bang becoming a Monster.
Meanwhile, Allen had returned to his rental apartment. He took off his pajamas and casually tossed them onto the sofa, then walked into the bathroom. Hot water rinsed over his body, washing away the day's fatigue.
"Today's gains were good." Allen looked at himself in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction. The progress bar for Asura Mode had already reached 21%. At this rate, he would complete the evolution soon.
He dried himself, changed into a fresh pair of pajamas, and lay back on the bed. He needed to rest and recuperate for more "investigation" tomorrow.
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the thin curtains onto Allen's face. He rubbed his sleepy eyes, picked up his phone from the bedside table, and checked the time: 9:30 AM.
"I slept a bit long." Allen stretched, his bones emitting crisp cracks. He felt the surging power within him; the enhancements from Asura Mode and Steel Armor filled every inch of his muscles with explosive strength.
After washing up, Allen took out the small notebook Bang had given him and began to flip through it.
Allen opened Bang's notebook. The yellowed pages were densely filled with the essentials of Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist.
When he turned to the last page, he found that what was recorded there was not Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, but a violent martial art called Exploding Heart Release Fist.
"This is..." Allen's fingers traced the scrawled handwriting. The killing move Bang created in his youth slowly unfolded before his eyes. Unlike the suppleness of Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, this set of fist techniques emphasized crushing all defenses with absolute power.
[Exploding Heart Release Fist Core Principle: Concentrate all strength at one point and explode, like a volcanic eruption—]
Allen closed the notebook, deep in thought. This set of fist techniques was a perfect match for Asura Mode. Just by looking at one page, he felt he had gained many new insights. But why would Teacher Bang hide it in his notes?
Was it because Teacher Bang didn't want the Exploding Heart Release Fist from his youth to be lost, so he specifically left it? But if it was specifically left, why did he only leave one page?
"I get it!" Allen suddenly realized. Teacher Bang's purpose in specifically leaving this page was only one: to let him comprehend it himself. He wanted to test his martial arts talent.
Leaving this page was to allow him to develop new fist techniques based on the Exploding Heart Release Fist.
Allen carefully put away the notebook. It was getting late, so he decided to first focus on completing the Hero Association's investigation mission. He took out his communicator and dialed the association's number.
"Good morning, Mr. Allen, any new discoveries?" The operator's voice came from the other end of the communicator.
"I plan to patrol Z-City today. If an Armored Monster appears, I can provide support immediately," Allen said as he put on his jacket.
"Do you need a new partner?" the operator inquired.
"Not for now. It's more convenient for me to act alone." Allen pushed open the door, and sunlight fell on his face.
Given his current standing in the association, Allen couldn't effectively control S-Class Heroes. If it were B-Class or A-Class Hero, Allen might accept a partner, as it would reduce his risk of exposure.
As soon as he stepped out, Allen encountered Genos, who was hanging clothes in the hallway.
"Senior! Good morning!" Genos immediately stopped and bowed respectfully.
"Morning, Genos. Training so early?" Allen responded with a smile, but he already had the idea of inviting Genos to patrol with him.
"Yes, Senior. As a Hero, I must always maintain optimal condition," Genos replied seriously, a determined glint in his mechanical eyes.
Allen nodded: "That's a great attitude. I'm going to patrol Z-City; do you want to come with me?"
Genos's mechanical eyes instantly lit up: "It would be an honor to patrol with Senior!"
The two walked side by side on the streets of Z-City. Although the Tanktop Master was attacked last night, the city still operated as usual. Some Heroes and citizens seemed completely unaware of it.
Even though a Dragon-Level Monster entered the city, the Hero Association's higher-ups still chose to conceal the truth, which was truly corrupt. If the mysterious Monster hadn't been Allen but the Monster Association, this place would probably have become a living hell.
Allen walked with his hands in his pockets, asking casually, "Genos, do you know that a Dragon-Level Monster attacked an S-Class Hero in Z-City last night?"
Genos's mechanical eyes flashed with surprise as he listened to Allen's question: "Senior, I was in charging sleep mode last night and didn't receive any related alerts. Which S-Class Hero was attacked?"
Allen pointed to the gym being rebuilt in the distance: "Tanktop Master. An Armored Monster, covered in black and red armor, suddenly appeared in his gym."
"An Armored Monster?" Genos immediately accessed his database to search.
"There are no related records in the Association's database. It seems to be a newly appeared Dragon-Level Monster." Genos's expression was grave after searching the database and finding no relevant information.
"So, you shouldn't go out patrolling at night recently. We will handle this matter," Allen said, patting Genos's shoulder with concern.
He didn't want Genos to suddenly appear and obstruct him when he transformed into an Armored Monster to hunt Heroes, as that would inevitably lead to conflict. If possible, Allen didn't want to harm this determined young man.
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